WHY I'm RunnING

Public schools changed my life.

I was a child of teenage parents and there were several points in my childhood at which we were food insecure. I rarely spent more than a year at the same school until I reached high school. My mother earned her GED the year before I earned my high school diploma. Although I went to college immediately following high school, I had to drop out due to poor study skills and financial concerns. When I finally returned to complete my degree, and eventually graduate school and my doctorate, I was able to finish with the help of public and private scholarships.

Across the entire United States, there were several schools and teachers who went above and beyond to make sure that I, and others like me, were given educational opportunities. Those opportunities instilled a passion for learning, the courage to embrace failure, and a sense of responsibility to my community.

The excellent schools here in our community were a big factor sixteen years ago when my family chose where we were going to make our home. This is a community that values education, and is willing to fund it. Like all communities, we want our kids to have even better lives than we enjoy.

As a long-time and active volunteer, I couldn't be prouder of our community's kids and their accomplishments. That being said, I know we can do better. Too many of our kids equate grades with their long-term success and happiness. We have kids who are afraid to fail and afraid to try. We have some kids who need us to open up a path and a support structure that lets every one of them be successful. By joining together with a common goal -- district administration, our teachers, our families, and the broader community -- we raise the success likelihood for all of our kids.

What do I need to know about? How can I improve?